Today in History: Titanic Hits an Iceberg

Late in the evening of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, a large and luxurious ocean liner that had departed from Southhampton, England four days earlier, struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The collision damaged the ship’s hull, comprised of 16 compartments believed to be watertight; five compartments on the starboard side ruptured — causing Titanic to sink. Coupled with the lack of lifeboats and emergency procedures, the disaster led to the death of more than 1,500 passengers and crew. This tragedy paved the way for for new maritime laws ensuring safety of vessels; including improvements in ship design (building of double hulls and heightened watertight bulkheads); the provision of sufficient lifeboats; mandated use of SOS as code; and international ice patrol.

And check out other books about the Titanic in the Gottesman Libraries.

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